Scenes from a Joe Biden eulogy

By ALEXANDER BURNS

10/26/2012 07:06 AM EDT

The pool reports on the vice president's well-received remarks last night, memorializing the late South Dakota Sen. George McGovern:

Biden suddenly began shouting in the church. "Your father gave courage to people who didn't have the courage to speak up," he said, then bringing up McGovern's failed presidential bid in [1972]. "Because he took such a miserable beating, he didn't win the election but he ended the war. ... He transformed my party. ... He is the father of the modern Democratic Party."

That line got him a standing ovation.

As he told his stories, Biden pointed out that he is the thirteenth longest-serving senator in history.

"Ain't that a hell of an indictment," he said to laughs, only to catch himself for saying "hell" in church, with a priest sitting behind him. He quickly turned around and said, "Excuse me," to the priest, and then blessed himself. People laughed the whole way through.